SOFTBALL: North Penn edged by Neshaminy in PIAA 4A semifinals

North Penn Michelle Holweger ,1, holds onto a ball as a slidind Neshaminy's E Mohan ,2, breaks up a double-play attemt on a play at second during their PIAA Class AAAA semifinal at William Tennent High School on Tuesday June 11,2013. Photo by Mark C Psoras\The Reporter

WARMINSTER — It took 13 innings of postseason softball before North Penn finally got to Neshaminy pitcher Lauren Quense.

The run output, however, came up short of sending the Maidens to State College.

North Penn used a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth to cut Neshaminy’s advantage to one, but Quense was able to hold of the comeback bid as the Redskins edged the Maidens 3-2 in the PIAA Class AAAA semifinals Tuesday afternoon at William Tennent High School.

“We battled from the first inning and I guess our best wasn’t good enough. We fell short, but we battled from the very start,” North Penn sophomore catcher Becky Christoffers said. “And we didn’t even thing we would be here, so it was a great opportunity to be here.”

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Christoffers was 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Alexa Gable went 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored for the Maidens, who had nine hits off Quense after the Neshaminy ace shut them out in the District One semifinals. But North Penn (18-10) has trouble capitalizing on its offense, leaving nine runners on base.

“We had our chances. It was always with two outs,” North Penn coach Rick Torresani said. “Morgan (Wiernusz) came up with a clutch hit, and we just couldn’t get it done when we needed it. And it’s a shame, cause these kids played hard, gave everything they had.”

Sam Offenback was 2-for-2 with a pair of RBIs for Neshaminy, driving in the game-winning run in the sixth with a single as the Redskins (23-2) advance to their first state final since winning the PIAA Class AAA title in 2003. Sarah Snider-Leonhauser finished 2-for-3 with a double and had Neshaminy’s other RBI.

The Redskins face District Seven champ Canon-McMillan — which defeated Pennsbury 3-1 in the other semifinal at Carlisle High School — for the championship 12:30 p.m. Friday at Penn State’s Nittany Lion Softball Park.

“It’s awesome. We worked for this all year and even though there’s been obstacles in our way, we overcame them,” Quense said. “This is the last one.”

North Penn was looking to make its first PIAA final since winning the 3A crown in 1985. The semifinal appearance was the farthest the program had advance in the state playoffs since then.

“I’m really proud of everyone on the team,” Christoffers said. “We all came out ready to play this year, even though in the beginning of the season we kind of we’re ready and we kind of were nervous. We just shook it off and came out ready to play in districts and states.”

Quense gave up two earned runs on nine hits in collected the complete-game win in the circle. She struck out five, walked one. Quense had allowed the Maidens just two hits in the Redskins’ 2-0 win over NP in the district semifinals, which was also held at William Tennent.

“When we first saw her, we saw her rise and we weren’t used to that,” Christoffers said. “We didn’t see a good pitcher until her. And it’s just the second time seeing her, I guess, you realize what she throws and what she can do and what she can’t do.”

North Penn starter Jackie Bilotti took the loss, giving up three earned runs on six hits in seven innings — walking three and striking out two.

“Jackie did great,” Torresani said. “She’s not an overpowering pitcher, so she’s got to mix her speeds up and shes’s has to hit her spots. And for a majority of the game, that’s what she did.”

Neither team had given up a run in the first two rounds of the PIAA Tournament, but the Maidens’ shutout streak came to a quick end as Neshaminy plate two in the top of the first.

With one out, Quense hit a single with Julia McGovern being hit by a pitch to put two on for Snider-Leonhauser, who doubled to right to score the opening run. Offenback’s single through the left side of the infield on the next at-bat made it 2-0 Redskins.

“I think we got a little down after the two runs were scored,” Christoffers said. “And then we realized it’s the beginning of the game, we can come back.”

Erin Maher led off the Maidens’ half of the first with a double, while Bilotti was hit by a pitch to put two on with no outs. But Quense was able to work out of the jam unscathed — Maher was forced out an third on a fielder’s choice, while Quense ending the inning with a strike out and ground out to second.

The Maidens again threatened in the fourth, loading the bases with two outs on a Melissa Fasick single, Gable double and Wiernusz walk. Yet Neshaminy maintained its two-run lead as Gable was forced out an third despite a little trouble from third baseman Selina Alicea in fielding the grounder hit to her.

“That girl bobbles the ball at third — if we’re safe at third, we get a run, who knows what happens from there,” Torresani said. “Just our bounces didn’t go our way, we didn’t have the luck today.”

The Redskins went ahead 3-0 with two outs in top of the fifth, as McGovern walked and Snider-Leonhauser singled before Offenback plated another run with her RBI single.

North Penn pulled to within one in the bottom of the sixth. Megan Curley singled with one out, while Gable collected a two-out base hit two batters later. Wiernusz then singled in Curley. Christoffers’ fly ball found a way to drop into shallow right field for a single, scoring Gable to make it 3-2. Maher was close to tying the contest, but her flare to left was caught by a diving Carly Coleman.

“Erin had a chance, the girl made a great catch in left field to deprive us a run there,” Torresani said.

Michelle Holweger kept North Penn alive in the seventh with a two-out single, but Quense seal Neshaminy’s victory by getting a ground out to her on the next at-bat.